Each year, student journalists compete regionally in print, TV, radio and online categories. Mercer and Kessler are the regional winners in Feature Reporting, Large School Division. First-place winners advance to compete nationally and are eligible for the MOEy. The best in show award is chosen from more than 4,000 entries in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards competition.

The Diamondback’s series blends elements of text, sketches, photography, video elements and interactive graphics to tell the story of sexual violence on the university’s campus.

The semester-long commitment of the team to understanding what compelled two University of Maryland students to file federal complaints with the U.S. Department of Education for possible Title IX violations shows tenacity for seeking truth.

"I say this with no offese to my past professors, but I learned more in a basement newsroom producing the daily student newspaper at LSU than I learned in a classroom," emcee of The Student Union, Amy Brittain said.

Just as Brittain's experience would imply, student journalism is just as important as ever.